249. Alexis Devine with Sarah Stremming: How a Talking Dog Could Teach You How to Be Human
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Release Date: 02/26/2024
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
When we think about consuming art, whether reading a book, visiting a museum, or maybe watching an outdoor performance act, we rarely consider the administrative efforts that go into making art possible. Creative administration is an evolving field that considers the innovation and organizational management necessary to create and present art. Artists find themselves having to balance their own vision, with the practicalities of physical production, collaboration, and so many other factors. Artists on Creative Administration: A Workbook from the National Center for Choreography, is a...
info_outline 388. Nathan Myhrvold with Bethany Jean Clement: Modernist Bread at HomeTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Join Modernist Cuisine founder and author Nathan Myhrvold to explore one of the world’s most beloved (and occasionally controversial) foods: bread. In this conversation that’s sure to be like naan other, Myhrvold will discuss his new book, Modernist Bread at Home, and why now is the perfect time to rise to the occasion and start making bread in your own kitchen. Myhrvold will draw on the Modernist Cuisine team’s extensive research to share some of his favorite insights, tips, and tricks from the book, all the info you knead to make better bread at home. Nathan Myhrvold is...
info_outline 387. André Aciman with Marcie Sillman: Coming of Age in The Eternal City — A New Book by the Author of "Call Me by Your Name"Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
The city of Rome is a legacy locale in countless areas of history and culture. For teenage refugee André Aciman, Rome was also a source of life-changing challenges, charms, and connections that would have a place in his heart for years to come. In his upcoming book Roman Year: A Memoir, Aciman recounts the ways his family adapted to the harsh realities of their transition and how he himself fell in love with the poetry and potential of a new home. Roman Year transports readers back to a tumultuous chapter of Aciman’s youth as his Jewish family fled an era of growing political...
info_outline 386. Tui T. Sutherland with Ben Clanton: Wings of Fire – The Dragonet ProphecyTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Join us for an exciting event with Tui T. Sutherland, the bestselling author behind the #1 New York Times and USA Today series Wings of Fire. Sutherland discusses the limited edition release of The Dragonet Prophecy, the first book in the series, offering insights into the world of dragons and the captivating characters that have enchanted readers around the globe. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from the author herself and dive into the adventure that has sparked imaginations everywhere. is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Wings of...
info_outline 385. Louise Erdrich with Karen Russell: Dark Realities and Glimmering Hopes in the Red River ValleyTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Can you see the shape of your soul in the everchanging clouds? Your personal salvation in the giant expanse of sky? For the ensemble cast of characters that make up the prairie community at the heart of The Mighty Red, existential questions are constantly close to the surface. In her newest novel, author Louise Erdrich immerses readers in the Red River Valley of the North and the complicated lives of its inhabitants. Argus, North Dakota is a town framed by the 2008 economic crisis, the consequences of climate change, and the dynamics of small-town drama. Thrown into motion by a chaotic...
info_outline 284. Eva Walker and Jacob Uitti with Molly Sides, Jimmy James, Evan Flory-Barnes, and Marco Collins: The Sound of SeattleTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
What connects Seattle with Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and Kenny G? How about the Melvins, Sleater-Kinney, and Foo Fighters? And Sir Mix-a-Lot, Macklemore, and Travis Thompson? If you don’t know, KEXP DJ and musician Eva Walker and music writer Jake Uitti can tell you. Walker and Uitti have created a timeline of Seattle’s music evolution through the lens of 101 songs spanning 80 years, the culmination of which, they say, creates a distinct “Seattle sound.” In their book, The Sound of Seattle, they highlight notable music and musicians who have ties with the Emerald city. It all...
info_outline 283. Edward Burns with Katy Sewall: A Kid from Marlboro RoadTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Edward Burns is known for his work as an actor and filmmaker, and now he’s debuting his novel-writing skills in A Kid from Marlboro Road. Set in the 1970s, his novel follows an Irish-American family living on Long Island––elements inspired by Burns’s own childhood. This coming-of-age tale explores the impacts of family history, the growing independence in early adolescence, death and grief, and dynamic family relationships. Burns tells the story through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy, Kneeney, who opens the tale at the wake of his beloved grandfather, Pop. The wake’s overflowing...
info_outline 282. Sahaj Kohli with Ruchika T. Malhotra: When Mental Health, Family, & Culture IntersectTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
As the daughter of immigrants, Sahaj Kaur Kohli grew up understanding what it means to straddle multiple cultures at once. She wrestled with questions like what it meant to forge one’s path, establishing personal values while embracing one’s origins; if prioritizing mental health meant a rejection of culture; how to set boundaries and engage in self-care when family and community are so important. Even after becoming a therapist herself, she saw those same gaps in the mental health world, leading her to wonder, like so many children of immigrants: what about us? Kohli’s latest...
info_outline 281. Inspired Natives®: Celebrate Native Art, Culture, and FoodTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Celebrate Native art and culture with Learn why supporting Native-designed products and art is crucial, and how your support fosters Native prosperity while combating cultural appropriation. Panelists: Founder of OXDX, Jared Yazzie (Navajo/Diné) is a self-taught graphic artist, entrepreneur, and designer known for his bold, graphic style that incorporates vibrant Diné motifs with messages of Native empowerment. Through his bold art and products, both with Eighth Generation and through his own brand OXDX, Jared works to increase awareness of Indigenous issues while...
info_outline 280. David Yeager with Tricia Raikes: The Science of Speaking to Young PeopleTown Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Imagine a world in which Gen Xers, millennials, and boomers interact with young people in ways that leave them feeling inspired, enthusiastic, and ready to contribute—rather than disengaged, outraged, or overwhelmed. That world may be closer than you think. In his new book, 10-to-25: The Science of Motivating Young People, psychologist David Yeager explains how to stop fearing young people’s brains and how to truly connect with them. Neuroscientists have discovered that around age ten, puberty spurs the brain to crave socially rewarding experiences, such as pride, admiration, and...
info_outlineMany of us talk to our pets daily, but what would you do if your pet could talk back? What do you think they would say?
When Bunny, a fluffy, black-and-white sheepadoodle, was eight weeks old, her guardian Alexis presented her with an odd gift: a button programmed to say “outside” when pressed. Within a few weeks, Bunny was using it all the time, and Alexis, encouraged by Bunny’s progress, continued to introduce more buttons and more words.
Three years later, Bunny can now communicate using over one hundred buttons, stringing together important, relatable, philosophical phrases such as “Love you Mom,” “Dad went poop,” and “Ugh why?” In I Am Bunny, Alexis chronicles not only how Bunny learned to “talk,” but also the profound impact their journey has had on her life.
Caring for Bunny revealed to Alexis a path to self-acceptance if not complete self-love, and as their relationship developed their ability to communicate deepened. Through charming anecdotes about day-to-day life with Bunny, explorations into prior animal language studies, and plenty of irreverent humor, daring, and heart, Alexis tells the story of how she and Bunny have become so inspiringly close and explores the ancient and unique bond between dog and guardian that so many of us know leads to a deeper, more meaningful life.
Alexis Devine is an artist and entrepreneur hailing from Seattle, Washington. She was a longtime creator of wearable art before her sheepadoodle, Bunny, known as “What About Bunny” on social media, became an internet sensation in the fall of 2020. Bunny is part of an ongoing canine cognition research study at the Comparative Cognition Lab at UCSD. Alexis is a Licensed Family Dog Mediator, Fear Free Certified Professional, and Certified Canine Enrichment Technician. Her goal is to further our understanding of the power of connection and the importance of empathy, meeting her dogs where they are and understanding them on their terms first to facilitate trust and promote an environment that supports them as the incredible creatures they are.
Sarah Stremming (she/her) is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants who hosts the popular podcast Cog Dog Radio. She consults on challenging dog behavior cases, lectures other professionals worldwide, and runs a dynamic membership out of her home office in Redmond, Washington. Known for popularizing “decompression walks” she believes what is best for dogs is usually best for their human companions, too. Sarah competes in the dog sports of Agility and Obedience and can often be found deep in the woods beside her Icelandic sheepdog and three border collies.
The Elliott Bay Book Company